Trust in universities, credentialing bodies, and legacy media has collapsed. When the professionals fail (2008 financial crisis, Iraq War intelligence failures, the COVID lab-leak debate), the public becomes receptive to anyone with confidence—even if that confidence is built on a narrow, fragile foundation.
These people are not trolls. They are earnest. That is what makes them so exhausting. overdeveloped amateurs
The overdeveloped amateur phenomenon is linked to several risks, including: Trust in universities